Circular knitting machine



Aug. 23, 1932.

` M. STEINMLLERY CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINE 9 `Slfxeets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5l, 1931 Aug- 23, 1932 v M. STEINMLLER 1,873,502

' CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FiledJan. 3l, 1931 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 23, 1932. M. STEINMULLER I 1,873,502

CIRCULAR-KNI'ITING MACHINE Filed Jah. 51, 1951 9 Shee'ZS--SheetI 4 y Affe l Aug. 23, 1932. M. sTElNMULLER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE -Filed Jan. s1, 1951 9 sheets-sheet 5 naaf Aug. 23, 1932. f M sTElNMULLER 1,873,502

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3.1. 1951 9 she'gs-sheet 6 AD8- 23, 1932- M. STEINMULLER .1,873,502

- CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filled Jari. 2 1, 1951 esmas-sheet 7 Allg. 23, 1932- `M. STEINMULLER 'CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 31, i951 9 sheets-sheet 3 Aug- 23, 1932- M. STEINMULLER 1,873,502

I CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 51. 1951 9 sheets-Sheet 9 Fig. 174

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O o HH Al www Patented Aug. 23, 1 932 A UNITED sfr-Aras -PATENr oFFlcE mx or cnmmra'z, annum mamme meme-' I Application 'auaajamuufyv s1, 1931,l seal no. 512,670', and xaeemanj December 1s. 193s.

The present invention Arelates tocircu'lar knitting machines, being anv improvement over the typeshown in my co-pending application Serial -No.`135,231, filed March 2, 1926,

6 now Patent No. 1,831,773. Stockings 'manufactured on the circular knitting machine are now contracted in the calf like stockings produced on Cottons machine, but'are widened by means of additional needles, so that the known fasbioning loops -'characteristic of Cotton'stockngs do not appear in circular knitted stocln'ngs According to the invention, -in eerder' to `give' stocln'ngs manufactured on the circular knitof the needle in two axial sectlons through the 65 '15 ting machine a s imilar appearance to Cotton stockings, the loops are thickened or'piled on both sides'of the-seam to form marks similar to those made by the fashioning. loops of Cotton stockings. This is eifected'by .means 20. of rotating push levers whichv at'the given moment bring the necessary needles into'the range of speciallocking elements by which they are raised, so that instead of aloop being' formed l the thread is merely wound around the needle or -laid in the needle head. An advancing device is also provided order te ensure that the needles to be displaced for the purpose indicated are alwa s` atv the `same .distance from the edge of tile '3 article, so that the loops form a row-which is parallel to the seam, as inthe case of stockings made on Cottons frame.

Reference will nowbe made to the accom- .panying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention by way of example and in which:

Figures land each illustrate a stocking provided with imitation fashioning loops according to the invention. In- Figure 1 they are arranged singly, whereas in Figure 2 they lie adjacent each other in pairs.

Figure 3 is a plan view of one half of the advancing devi'ce ,and

Figure 4 is a plan of the other half thereof. Figure 5 is a plan of the ent-ire advancing device on a smaller scale. l Figure 6 is a front elevation of one half of the advancing device, and

Figure 7 is an elevation of the otherhalf. Figure 8 is a plan view of Figure 6.

` row of loops, while in Figure 2 two Y. 'Figure' 9 is a -planview of Figure .'7.

lookingn the direction of the arrow b of F igre 5. Y AFigure 12 illustrates variousA individual elements of the device in side elevationor section-looking inthe direction of the arrow b 'o0 of Figure 5 but from the middle of the needle cylinder.

Figure 13 is an illustration of the lock. Figures 14 and 15 show different positions needle cylinder and the .adjacent machine parts.

VF igure'16 is a side elevation of one of the rotarypu'sh levers.

Figure 17 isa side view lof the entire ma- 70 chine. Referring to Figures land 2,. the rows of loops are indicated by'vertical lines and the imitation fashioning loops by the crosses 1. The distance of the latter from the edge of- 'l5 the stocking is fourteen loops, but this may be increased or decreased as desired. 4In Figure 1 there is only one fashioning loop in each oops are disposed side by' side on two adjacent Arows 8 0 of loops.

Although the invention is here described as applied to va circular knitting machine hav-f ing a rotating needle cylinder, it may also-be I applied to machines having arotating lock cover. Y y The machine operates in known manner 1n a pendulum movement while the article 1s being made. l

' The needles 2 intended for forming -the 90 fasbioning loops are provided with a special foot 3 vaccording to Figure '13. The lock parts 5, 6, 7l and 8 are provided on the lock cover and the needles 2 are mounted on the needle cylinder so as to be displaceable by means of rotary push levers 10 in such a manner that their feet A3 can be selectively brought into therange of the lock 'elements 5 and 6 which are disposed at a certain distance from the needle cylinder 11. When Figurell illustrates part of the device 55 needles are returned to the normal position described hereinafter.

by the lock parts 7 and 8.

The retable levers 10 shown in Figures 14-16 are disposed in suitable grooves, 15 of the needle cylinder 11 by means of their segmental projections e. The upper arm d of the lever applies itself against the lower part of the needle 2 on the side nearest the cylinder, while the lowerl arm possesses a projection f against which the buffers 18 or 29 press when the lever is to be rocked and the needle 2 brought into the range of the lock` element 5.` The cavity g of the lever serves to receive the known cylinder springs by vhich the lever 10 is held to the needle cylin- The buil'ers 18 and 29 are mounted in slides 16 and 17 respectively so as to be displaceable radially to the axis of the needle cylinder 11. The slides 16 and 17 are supported on the cogged segments 22 and 23 and are adapted to be displaced along the latter. Theintermittent advancement is effected by means of the pawls 19 and 20 in the manner The lower toothed segment 23 is rigidly connected with the bearings 24, 25 and 26, which also serve to guide the two segments 22 which are displaceably mounted 'on the segment 23.l The segments 22 are secured against removal by the cover Y' 42. The bearings 24, 25, 26 are parts of the the bearing frame 12 which is secured by the'screws 13 to the needle cylinder 1l. i The automatic displacement of the needles 2 is eii'ected from the advancing drums 27 and 28 (Figures 6-9) uponv which cam elements are screwed in suitable manner through which the adjustment levers' are actuated. The process of advancing the needles is divided into three stops; the intermittent displacement of the slides 16 and 17- along the segments 22 and 23, the radial displacement of the buers 18 and 29 by'a bracket 30 carried by the machine frame, and the return of the slides 16 and 17 to the initial position.

At the commencement of the process the sllde 17 is in the'position shown in Figure 5 (top), when the stop 21 or 31 lies adjacent 26. Now if the slide is to be displaced the cam 33 of the drum 28 acts on the nose of the lever 32 as shown in Figure 6. At the end of the other arm of this lever a pin 35 is situated, which is connected with an, arm of the lever 36, which rotates about the axis 37.' The other end of this lever forms the stop 38. The position of the lever 36 indicated in Figure 6 is its contact position. As the cylinder 11 rotates, the end of the one armed lever 39 mounted on the bearings 24 and 26 strikes the to and fro said` slides are displaced. In the range of the lever 39 the segment 22-possesses a pin 40 which is moved by said lever 39. To permit this, the cover 42 has a slot 43. The slide is always displaced through only one cog division. The segment 22 is returned after every advancement by the tension spring 45 which pulls on the pin 40 and is secured at its other end to the hook 44. YIn the movement in one direction the segment 22 carries along the slide 16 or 17 by means of the pawl 19, whereupon the slide secures itself to the rigid segment 23 by means of the pawl 20, and the pawl 19 slides ineffective over theteeth of the segment 22When the latter returns. The pawls 19 and 20 are held in contact with the segments 22 or 23 by the springs 46 and 47 4 respectively. Each time the lever 39 meets the stop 38 the slides are caused to advance through one cog division. y Figure 15 shows the needle 2 in the normal position. The lower foot 3 goes past the lock element 5. Figure 14 shows the lower foot 3 of this needle moved into the range of the lock element 5. In this position of the needle the thread is laid but a stitch is lnot formed.

The needle footV 3 is advanced into the position shown in Figure 14 through the intermediary of the push lever 10 by the buffers 18 and 29. (Figures 3, 14 and 15) These buffers are displaced radially to the cylinder axis when their outer surfaces runon the bevel 48 of the bracket 30 as the cylinder 11 revolves. The other end/490i the buier Ais narroweddown so that it can act only on one lever 10. This end of the buier presses back the part f of the lever 10 as it is displaced, vwhereby the v-upperarm d of the lever applies itself against the lower part of the needle 2 and presses it forward to such an extent that the needle foot 3 comes into the range of the lock element 5. Y

, The bracket 30 is vertically displace'able. For this purpose it is secured by means of the clamps 50 and 51 to the bolts 52 and 53, which are mounted on the bearings 54 and 55 (Fi ures 6 and 7) .This displacement ofthe brac et 30 is effected from the drum 25 by a cam element pressing back the nose of the lever 56 which vturns about the screw 57. The-other arm of this lever transmits the movement through the rod 59 to the lever 60 which is ulcrumed at 61. The other arm of the lever 60 possesses a slot in which the pin 65 of the lll clamp 64 engages. The clamp 64 carries the shaft 66 which by means of the angle cramps 62 and 63 forms the connection with the two vertical bolts 52 and 53. If the lever 56 is moved away from the drum 28, the bracket 30 is displaced.

The contact points 'of the two buiers 18 and 29 are not similarly situated. In bu-ier 18 (Figure 14) the stop is situated higher than in the buffer 29 (Figure 15). Accordingly a two stepped cam element 58 on the drum 28 is used to displace the lever 56. When the nose of the lever 56 lies adjacent the drum 28 the bracket 30 stands above the stops of the buffers 16 and 29 (Figure 15). When the nose of the lever 56 runs on the lower step of the cam 56 the bracket 30 is lowered so that the contact point of the buffer 18 runs on the bevel 48 of the bracket. This position is shown in Figure 14. If the nose of the lever 56 runs onto the upper step of the cam 58 the bracket descends to the level of the contact point of the buffer 29 (shown dotted in Figure 14) During the production of the calf portions of the stocking one of the needles 2 is always raised by means of the above described arrangement when an imitation fashioning loop isto be formed. By the displacement of the slides 16 and 17 on the segments 22 and 23 it isJensured that the fashioning loops all have the same distance from the edge of the calf portion. The buffers 18 and 29 always displace the needles only a certain number of rows of loops so that the fashioning loops are all formed at the desired distance from one another.-

When the calf has been completed in this manner and no further fashioning loops are required the slides 16 and 17 must be brought back to the original position. For this purpose the pawls 20 and 79 are drawn back, and to this end they are provided on their lower side with a projection 68 and on their upper side with a pin 67. The latter merely has the purpose of taking'the pawl 19 with it during the uncoupling movement, while the projection 68 co-operates with a bracket 69. The latter is mounted on 'the machine frame and is adapted toloscillate about the axis 70' and is coupled at the other end by the screws 83 to a bracket 78. This is pressed by the spring 71 into such a position that the projection 68 cannot come into contact with the bracket 69 during the rotation of the needle cylinder. The displacement of the bracket is effected from the drum 27. When the nose of the lever 73 runs onto the cam 72 of this drum the lever 73 is displaced and the movement' is transmitted from its other arm through the connecting rod 74 to the lever 75. This carries a set screw 77 which runs on a. bevelled portion of the bracket 78 and thereby presses back the latter against the pressure of the spring 71.

Thus the bracket 69 is displaced in such a manner that the projection 68 of the pawls 2O and 79 runs onto the outer surface of the bracket 69, so that the pawls 19, 20 and 79 are lifted off the toothed segments 22 and 23. As soon as this takes place the springs 81 and 82 draw the slides 16 and 17 back to their initial position, when the stops 21 or 31 apply themselves against the bearings 24 or 26.

I claim 1. 'In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder with a plurality of needles disposed on the said cylinder,

a plurality of heels forming part of some v of the needles, means for pressing the heels of the needles away from the said cylinder and within range of cams adapted to move the needles thus adjusted, arched carriers vsecured to the said needlecylinder, carriages displaceably disposed on the said carriers, drivers carried by the said carriages and adapted to actuate the said means for adjusting the needles, ratchet teeth on the said carriers, another -toothed segment displaceably arranged on the said carriers, two pawls rotatably disposed on each of the said carriages, one of the said pawls being inemgagement with the teeth of the carrier and the other one with the said toothed segment, and means for reciprocating the said toothed segment.

ica

carried by the said carriages and adapted to actuate the said means for adjusting the needles, ratchet teeth on the said carriers, an-

other toothed segment displaceably arranged on the said carriers, two pawls rotatably disposed on each of' the said carriages, one of the said pawls being in engagement with the teeth of the carrier and the other one with the said toothed segment, means for reciprocating the said toothed segment, projecting portions on the said pawls, a guide bar positioned within range ,of the said projectingy portions on the machine frame and adapted to li-ft by its motion the said pawls out of the said ratchet teeth and the said toothed segment, and a spring adapted to return the said carriages to their initial positions. u

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature. s

MAX STEINMLLER.

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